Some politicians in Washington are waging a concerted and deceitful effort to make it difficult for private, for-profit and non-profit colleges to exist. Colleges and universities that offer career-specific degrees are a top priority for their detractors, even though these institutions meet the unique needs of non-traditional students, returning veterans, and single moms.
A handful of partisan Democrats will not end their war against for-profit and non-profit schools which offer students and their families an alternative to a traditional four-year college or university. We know that students learn differently and have a variety of different professional goals, therefore, it’s important for students to exercise their choice in post-high school education options.
For the past two years, the Department of Education, under a new regime, has been reevaluating the current rules and regulations governing for-profit and nonprofit colleges. As a result, some in the Senate and House of Representatives are employing different tactics in their battle against higher education. Specifically, some Democrat members, staff, and activists have resorted to pressuring officials working at the Department of Veterans Affairs – the agency which funds veteran GI Bill education – to cut off money to schools they dislike. These critics of for-profit colleges say the schools are too expensive and often leave students with high student loan debt. Many detractors also claim for-profit colleges often have low graduation rates.